Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of communication systems, and, more particularly, to selecting paths for packet streams in a hybrid network.
Traditional routing or bridging protocols are capable of determining paths through particular networks. For example, IEEE 802.1aq defines a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol for Ethernet networks. Other routing protocols may exist for other network technologies.
For a hybrid network, traditional routing and bridging protocols are inefficient or unusable. Hybrid communication networks typically comprise multiple networking technologies (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, powerline communication technologies, Ethernet, etc.) that may be interconnected using bridging-capable devices that forward packets between devices utilizing the different network technologies and media in order to form a single extended communication network. The hybrid network can comprise hybrid devices and conventional (or legacy) communication devices. Moreover, the hybrid network may use multiple network technologies in a variety of topology configurations.
Typically, the hybrid devices implement topology discovery and other information exchange protocols to advertise their presence to other hybrid devices in the hybrid network. However, the legacy devices (including legacy bridges) may not implement the topology discovery and information exchange protocols and may not advertise their presence within the hybrid network. Existing topology discovery techniques may rely on direct exchange of information between endpoint communication devices, or manual configuration of topology information (e.g. virtual LANs, bridge priorities, or explicit routing rules) that can be too complicated for average users.
Therefore, traditional methods for determining network topology and for selecting a path for a packet stream are inadequate.